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13 September 2017

Accidents Happen: How to Save Your Child's Tooth

When children are playing, accidents happen. We never want them to, but sometimes they are inevitable. Whether they are playing baseball with their friends and someone takes a ball to the face or they are running too fast down a hill and fall, teeth can get knocked out. The team at Desert Hills Dental has put together these tips for helping you save your child’s knocked out tooth.

Once a tooth has been knocked out, the nerves and blood vessels are damaged beyond repair, but if you act quickly the bone can be reattached to the root, saving the tooth. However, if they have lost a baby tooth it isn’t always necessary to replace.

What to Do When a Baby Tooth Is Knocked Out--

Baby teeth will eventually fall out and be replaced by permanent teeth. So, if your child accidentally knocks a baby tooth out, it isn’t necessary to replace it, especially if they are reaching the age when their teeth should start falling out – 5 to 6 years old.

But that is a choice you have to make: to re-implant the tooth or let nature take its course.

If your child is 5 years or older you may want to simply allow the permanent tooth to grow in when its time comes. Maybe a visit from the tooth fairy is the best course of action at this point.

If your child is younger, 2-4 years old, you might want to consult their pediatric dentist about re-implantation. Their dentist can tell you if it is necessary to re-implant their lost tooth and what the risks and benefits of that will be. Then you can make an informed decision about what is best for your child.

No matter what your decision is, always first make sure to find the tooth. Because children’s teeth are so small, it would be easy for them to inhale the knocked out tooth, causing difficulty breathing. If you can’t find the tooth, have a pediatrician check your child to make sure they didn’t inhale or swallow the tooth.

What to Do When a Permanent Tooth Is Knocked Out--

Whether you are getting the prematurely lost baby tooth or a permanent tooth re-implanted, these are the steps you’ll want to take.

Find the tooth, and pick it up by the crown. You can’t get it re-implanted without it – although there are options for replacements if the tooth cannot be found.

Rinse it off gently with water if it is dirty, and if your child is old enough to do so themselves, reposition the tooth in its socket and have your child hold it in place until you reach the dentist’s office. If you are worried about this option, then place the tooth in a glass of milk. Just remember to keep it moist at all times.

It’s important to act fast. Once you have the tooth clean and ready, get your child into a dentist within 30 minutes if possible.

When faced with the panic of any medical emergency, always remain calm. Now that you have the knowledge you need to take care of the situation, you know that everything will be okay and can express this to your child to help calm them.

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